ON the day that marked the 70th anniversary since the D-Day landings, it was only fitting that part of its history was commemorated in Winchester.

Two memorial plaques and a rail signal were officially unveiled on the Hockley Viaduct on Friday (June 6), which runs adjacent to the M3 motorway through Winchester water meadows and the River Itchen.

It opened in October 1891, and linked Didcot, Newbury, Winchester and Southampton, playing a pivotal role in the transportation of soldiers and equipment during the First and Second World Wars.

The memorials are the final piece of the puzzle in the restoration of the site, which had been earmarked to be destroyed in the 1980s by the Army under Winchester City Council’s orders, but was saved after public outcry.

Friends of Hockley Viaduct, which was set up in 2007, campaigned for its restoration.

Julia Sandison, organiser, said: “I am absolutely thrilled and the Hampshire public use it all the time – the amount of people that came through during the ceremony just shows how important this has become to people.

“It’s historically, archeologically and architecturally important, and it is very beautiful.”